Curia signs license agreement with MilliporeSigma to support production of proteins and antibodies
ALBANY, N.Y., June 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Curia, a leading contract research, development and manufacturing organization, today announced it has signed a licensing agreement with MilliporeSigma, the North American Life Sciences Business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, that enables Curia and its clients to use the CHOZN® GS-/- cell line for production of therapeutic proteins and antibodies. Following the agreement, the CHOZN GS-/- cell line has been integrated into Curia’s cell line development workflow and is immediately available to Curia customers.
CHOZN® platform is a Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) mammalian cell expression system that allows for faster, simpler selection and scale-up of high-producing clones for production of biologics and therapeutic recombinant proteins. It includes high-performing CHO cell lines, paired media and feeds, optimized expression vectors and robust protocols. The glutamine synthetase GS knockout (GS-/-) cell line of the CHOZN platform is specially designed to help streamline selection, identification and scale-up of high-producing clones ideal for GMP manufacturing of recombinant protein drugs.
“We continue to strengthen our biologics development offerings from discovery through clinical manufacturing,” said Christopher Conway, President R&D, Curia. “The CHOZN GS-/- cell line platform adds a widely accepted and commercially viable cell line to our capabilities. Our integrated offering accelerates therapeutic protein and antibody production and offers seamless tech transfer for optimal flexibility.”
Curia’s protein and antibody development experts offer a track record of accelerating progress, with a timeline in as little as 12 months from cell line development to phase I drug substance, depending on the manufacturability of the candidates.
The addition of the CHOZN platform strengthens Curia’s offerings as a complement to its existing proprietary CHO cell line, providing customers with a highly versatile and broadly applicable solution.
About Curia
Curia is a leading contract research, development, and manufacturing organization providing products and services from R&D through commercial manufacturing to pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical customers. Curia’s nearly 4,000 employees at 29 locations across the U.S., Europe, and Asia help its customers advance from curiosity to cure. Learn more at CuriaGlobal.com.
The mood was cautiously buoyant in both the U.S. and China – as well as Taiwan – that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s trip to China was the right move in “stabilizing” relations between the two superpowers that have grown increasingly precarious in recent months.
The State Department issued a statement saying the two sides had “candid, substantive, and constructive discussions on key priorities in the bilateral relationship and on a range of global and regional issues.”
“The Secretary emphasized the importance of maintaining open channels of communication across the full range of issues to reduce the risk of miscalculation. He made clear that while we will compete vigorously, the United States will responsibly manage that competition so that the relationship does not veer into conflict,” department spokesperson Matthew Miller said.
In a digital press briefing on Tuesday, Daniel J. Kritenbrink, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs and Sarah Beran, Special Assistant to the President of the United States and U.S. National Security Council Senior Director for China and Taiwan Affairs, broadly described Blinken’s trip as having been successful in terms of reestablishing lines of communication and managing competition.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, center, talks to U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, second left, as Wang Yi, third right, Chinese Communist Party’s foreign policy chief, listens during a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Monday, June 19, 2023. Credit: Wang Ye/Xinhua via AP
During his meeting with Blinken, Xi Jinping rejected the term “strategic competition,” according to Chinese-language sources, saying, “Great power competition does not conform to the trend of the times.”
But as Wen-Ti Sung, a nonresident fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Global China Hub, sessional lecturer in the Australian National University’s College of Asia and the Pacific and a member of the Australian Centre on China in the World, wrote in atweet, the framing of the great power relations as non-competitive is “long-standing,” dating back to 2012.
“If China were to change, and to accept [the] U.S.’ preferred framing, it would symbolize China compromising,” he wrote, saying that would only be likely to happen when Xi met his equal, President Biden.
Sung told RFA that, symbolically, the meeting was important.
“The visuals of Xi-Blinken meeting will embolden Chinese diplomats to more proactively engage with the U.S. and possibly show a little more flexibility,” he said.
Sung said that the fact that Xi had met with a U.S. envoy, someone lower than himself, showed that China was in a “gracious mood” and that would give Chinese bureaucrats “political cover” to extend olive branches and “make occasional compromises necessary to repair relations.”
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Monday, June 19, 2023. Credit: Leah Millis/Pool Photo via AP
Another area of concern is China’s apparent disdain for reestablishing military-to-military communications, which Blinken said the U.S. wants in order to avoid any miscalculations in the Taiwan Strait or the South China Sea turning into outright conflict.
But both sides expressed satisfaction with the outcome of Blinken’s visit, even if there was little in the way of substantive agreement on specifics beyond returning to the agreement reached by Xi and President Joe Biden at asummit in Bali last November.
Exiled Tiananmen Square student leader Wu’er Kaixi, speaking to RFA in Taiwan, said it was possible that military-to-military exchanges were a “no go” for Beijing due to the non-negotiable nature of its claims on Taiwan. He said Beijing may also be reluctant to appear to be in too much of a hurry to offer concessions to Blinken for fear of looking weak and caving into Washington based on one visit by a U.S. Secretary of State.
Wu’er Kaixi described Blinken’s statements on the U.S. position on the One-China policy and on Taiwan independence, as “new definitions of old policies, an effort to regain control of [the] narrative.”
“I think it was a success, the U.S. playing their game on China’s home turf,” he said, adding that China cannot appear too willing to admit it has overstepped in a game of bluff and lost.
“The fact is that the whole wolf warrior diplomacy thing was a mistake and I think Blinken took that message to Beijing whether China likes it or not.
“Beijing probably realizes that it’s up against a firmer, more no-nonsense U.S. administration than any it has had to deal with before,” he added, while cautioning it may not signal an end to provocative military maneuvers in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.
A Chinese J-16 fighter jet carries out a maneuver that the U.S. military said was “unnecessarily aggressive” near an American reconnaissance plane flying above contested waters in the South China Sea, May 26, 2023. Credit: U.S military handout
State tabloidGlobal Times reported Monday that H-6K bombers of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force had carried out nighttime sorties encircling Taiwan, without specifying when it had occurred and with no official confirmation by Taiwan at the time.
According to Sung, the fact that Xi called for cooperation rather than strategic competition signaled that “Beijing is confident enough to reject American overtures [on competition] but also that the Chinese government can engage the U.S. government more now because Xi himself reaffirmed the need for cooperation.”
Sung added, “Chances are [that] functional issues such as people-to-people exchanges between students, scholars, and businesspeople will see a slow thaw, but it may not take long until tensions return again.
“Chinese military activities in the East and South China Sea as well as Taiwan Strait will likely go on unabated,” said Sung.
“All it takes is another near-miss between Chinese and American warships or military jets to turn up the default temperature of US-China rhetoric up again. Like it or not, strategic competition is here to stay.”
LONDON, June 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Well-respected digital asset investment firm, Finance Me Consultancy, has announced the unveiling of their cutting-edge trading platform. This breakthrough platform empowers users with access to a comprehensive selection of digital asset investment prospects, sophisticated trading instruments, and professional guidance designed to facilitate passive income creation and replace traditional sources of earnings. After making an initial deposit, clients can anticipate profit generation within the first day, all delivered in a secure, straightforward, and efficient manner, including ease of withdrawals.
The platform delivers real-time market intelligence, in-depth analytics, and a user-friendly design to foster informed decision-making for investments. Edward James, Finance Me Consultancy’s CEO, has hailed the introduction of their novel trading platform as a transformational moment in the digital asset trading sector, offering a safe, smooth trading experience, exclusive investment prospects, and robust investment management.
Fimec
Fimec
Employing state-of-the-art technology, the platform by Finance Me Consultancy offers exposure to an array of digital assets such as cryptocurrencies, tokens, and other novel asset types. There’s no necessity for specialized software or hardware, making it readily accessible to all. Clients will automatically receive daily dividends or returns directly into their accounts, which are available for withdrawal post the initial 24 hours.
Edward underscored the firm’s dedication to offering the premier trading experience, empowering clients with the tools to make informed trading choices, optimize their returns, and maintain a competitive edge in the dynamic world of digital assets. The trading platform from Finance Me Consultancy is available globally. Interested individuals are invited to visit their website to learn more about the firm’s investment ethos and the advantages of digital asset trading. The Wales, UK-based firm operates with the highest level of ethics, focused on delivering exceptional returns for clients.
In addition, the platform provides an opportunity to diversify your portfolio which is monitored and managed for a nominal commission fee. This platform generates at least 4% daily returns on diverse investments with a minimum deposit of £500. Additionally, a rewarding referral program provides a 10% commission. By introducing a new investor to the platform, you will earn a commission equivalent to 10% of the deposited amount. This is an excellent opportunity to earn additional income and introduce your network to the benefits of our services.
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, June 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — VCI Global Limited (NASDAQ: VCIG) (“VCI Global”, or the “Company”) announced it has been appointed by Cogia GmbH as the latter’s distributor for the promotion and sale of its communication application known as “Socializer Messenger”.
The “Socializer Messenger” is a game changing, complete communication suite. On top of the basic conventional services being offered by other messaging devices, this AI-based, military grade messenger elevates communications to four additional dimensions namely privacy, security, business and administration. In short, it is a secured all-in-one communication tool with full data encryption and privacy protection.
“Socializer Messenger” is owned and controlled by Cogia GmbH, a software company based in Germany, with extensive experience in software development, in AI, text mining, web monitoring and cyber security.
VCIG is granted an exclusive distributorship within the Southeast Asian countries and non-exclusive distributorship for areas outside Southeast Asia to, amongst others, promote, market and distribute this messenger. For its role, VCIG shall be entitled to a percentage of the revenue generated from the sales of the messenger.
Once formalised, this distributorship is for a period of two years and will automatically be renewed for an additional year.
“Humbled would not truly describe our appreciation to Cogia as we offer our vast networking platform to Cogia to tap into for the distribution of its communication application, in particularly, to this part of the region. This (distributorship) will open up yet another revenue stream for us which will undoubtedly increase VCI Global’s value,” said Dato’ Victor Hoo, Group Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of VCI Global.
“We are excited to leverage on VCI Global’s expertise and extensive network to establish a strong presence, provide tailored AI and secure communication solutions to meet the evolving needs of the Southeast Asian markets,” said Pascal Lauria, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Cogia GmbH.
About VCI Global Limited
VCI Global is a multi-disciplinary consulting group with key advisory practices in the areas of business and technology. The Company provides business and boardroom strategy services, investor relation services, and technology consultancy services. Its clients range from small-medium enterprises and government-linked agencies to publicly traded companies across a broad array of industries. VCI Global operates solely in Malaysia, with clients predominantly from Malaysia, but also serves some clients from China, Singapore, and the US.
Cogia GmbH is a software company based in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, founded in 2010. The company offers AI-based, fully privacy-compliant solutions in the areas of secure communications, cybersecurity, Big Data Analytics and web monitoring. The customer portfolio includes major companies from many industries, including Volkswagen, BMW, IPSOS, Lufthansa and the government of an EU state.
This press release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to various risks and uncertainties. Such statements include statements regarding the Company’s ability to grow its business and other statements that are not historical facts, including statements which may be accompanied by the words “intends,” “may,” “will,” “plans,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “projects,” “predicts,” “estimates,” “aims,” “believes,” “hopes,” “potential” or similar words. Actual results could differ materially from those described in these forward-looking statements due to certain factors, including without limitation, the Company’s ability to achieve profitable operations, customer acceptance of new products, the effects of the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) and future measures taken by authorities in the countries wherein the Company has supply chain partners, the demand for the Company’s products and the Company’s customers’ economic condition, the impact of competitive products and pricing, successfully managing and, general economic conditions and other risk factors detailed in the Company’s filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake any responsibility to update the forward-looking statements in this release, except in accordance with applicable law.
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London, June 20, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Access to opportunity is one of the most desirable qualities that any jurisdiction can offer.
This year, the 2023 World Citizenship Report measured 188 countries in the world, looking at what these nations have to offer High Net-Worth Individuals (HNWIs) and the mass affluent who are continually looking past their home borders for better opportunities.
One key motivator that was measured in the report was Economic Opportunity, which measures the overall ability of a nation to extend wealth, material comfort, and other key benefits of a strong economy to all of its citizens.
Greater access to improved business environments and employment opportunities allows individuals to participate in the economy while achieving their goals of securing their financial futures and raising the standard of living for themselves and their families. But it doesn’t end there. Apart from the supplementary benefits of social mobility, a reduction in income disparity, and greater capital formation, having the freedom to pursue key financial goals leads to significant investment in an individual’s own well-being, their families, and their communities, which, more often, is accompanied by a greater sense of purpose.
Not only have global mass affluent individuals shown to be willing to travel to access more powerful economies globally, but they also desire supportive business environments which enable them to fully realise their entrepreneurial potential.
A shift in economic growth from the West to emerging markets over the past few decades has led to new business hubs worldwide. Regions such as Asia, the Middle East, and South America have seen rapid economic growth, coupled with improved infrastructure and, in some cases, lighter regulation.
Entrepreneurs the world over are capitalizing on this, often by going through the citizenship by investment (CBI) route of a country that allows access to profitable business opportunities in booming markets across the globe.
The World Citizenship Report looks at the top business hubs globally, among other motivators for individuals looking to widen their prospects. Other motivators explored by the World Citizenship Report are Safety and Security, Quality of Life, Global Mobility, and Financial Freedom. The World Citizenship Report is based on research by London-headquartered leading government advisory and marketing firm CS Global Partners.
So which countries are the world’s most sought-after business hubs in 2023?
5. Switzerland and Japan
Switzerland and Japan both tied at fifth place, ranking at 82.3 in the Economic Opportunity pillar.
Switzerland, the 20th biggest economy in the world, is a well-known financial hub and a great place to invest thanks to its stable economy and strong business culture. The country is also known for its innovation and flourishing start-ups in the major cities.
In addition to its positive economic outlook, Japan is noted for its internal stability. The nation is considered one of the most politically stable countries in the world, as well as one of the safest to travel in for work or business. Japan’s economy has gained momentum in 2023 with surveys of business activity indicating that the economy is growing.
4. Netherlands
Taking fourth place, the Netherlands scored 82.4 and the country continues to be a good place to start a business. Considered as the gateway to Europe, the Netherlands has a stable business climate where ambitious companies can tap into innovation ecosystems to accelerate their businesses.
3. Hong Kong (SAR) China
In third place with a score of 83.1 is Hong Kong. The country has a free-enterprise, free-trade economy and the government has traditionally adopted a policy of non-intervention in the private sector, while at the same time providing the territory with a modern and sophisticated commercial infrastructure and a sound legal and administrative framework.
2. United States of America
In second place is the United States of America. As one of the most recognised economies in the world, the USA offers a lucrative open market that is a powerful growth engine for companies of all sizes. Coupled with a predictable and stable political and judicial system where intellectual property is protected, the USA is a great place for business investment of any kind.
The country scored 83.7 in this year’s World Citizenship Report.
1. Singapore
Singapore was crowned as the best place to do business this year with a score of 84.8. Singapore has a conducive environment for business given its regulatory environment, stable and efficient infrastructure to support starting a business, access to financial intermediation and services, and enforcement of contracts. The economy makes it easy for domestic and international businesses to make their mark in the global arena.
